Coach K

The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski

By: Ian O'Connor

Narrated by: Kiff VandenHeuvel

The definitive biography of college basketball’s all-time winningest coach, Mike Krzyzewski

Mike Krzyzewski, known worldwide as “Coach K,” is a five-time national champion at Duke, the NCAA's all-time leader in victories with nearly 1,200, and the first man to lead Team USA to three Olympic basketball gold medals. Through unprecedented access to Krzyzewski’s best friends, closest advisers, fiercest adversaries, and generations of his players and assistants, three-time New York Times bestselling author Ian O’Connor takes you behind the Blue Devil curtain with a penetrating examination of the great, but flawed leader as he closes out his iconic career.

Krzyzewski built a staggering basketball empire that has endured for more than four decades, placing him among the all-time titans of American sport, and yet there has never been a defining portrait of the coach and his program. Until now. O’Connor uses scores of interviews with those who know Krzyzewski best to deliver previously untold stories about the relationships that define the venerable Coach K, including the one with his volcanic mentor, Bob Knight, that died a premature death. Krzyzewski was always driven by an inner rage fueled by his tough Chicago upbringing, and by the blue-collar Polish-American parents who raised him to fight for a better life. As the retiring Coach K makes his final stand, vying for one more ring during the 2021-2022 season before saying goodbye at age 75, O’Connor shows you sides of the man and his methods that will surprise even the most dedicated Duke fan.

Great book!

Whether you’re a Duke fan of just a sports fan in general, this book will bring back memories. Listened to it in one day and left me wanting to hear more. Only criticism would be that in a book about basketball, the narrator should pronounce names correct. Jim Boeheim is a well known enough name but I was left trying to figure out who he was talking about at first. Bo-heme??? Amika Okafur, Amare Stoudemire, they’re all common enough basketball names that they shouldn’t be mispronounced. Other than that, it was fantastic.

The Good and Bad of Coach K

A very good historical detail behind the Coach K career. The detail gives the good and bad of Coach K, which is welcomed. This a great listen for any ACC, College Basketball, and/or obviously Duke fans.

Overall good with one exception

Wonderful and balanced overview of Mike Krzyzewski’s career. Unfortunately the reader only got Coach K name right while mispronouncing most of the other names cited.

Coach K, The good,bad and ugly

No one is perfect and the book shines a light on coach K’s imperfections as well as is exemplary life off the court. However the detailed behind the scenes game,practice and basketball stories made it a ten.

Audible listeners: Be prepared to hear the Syracuse coach and the Duke coach in waiting have their names butchered as well as Oregon

Incredible detail, awesome chronology for basketball junkies, one of the best

Only issue was the narrator mis pronounced several names, but that can easily be overlooked